Because there are over 750,000 self-pubbed and 250,000 books published a year and they won't all get reviews in the NYTBR. Authored by M.J. Rose

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Best Review I Ever Got
I used to read books like this [The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose] before I discovered smutty worlds filled with vampires and shape shifters. But this book reminded me I liked to read books like this. It even had just humans in it and I still liked it. -- Samantha at Fiction Vixen Book Reviews

October 30, 2012

Juliette Fay's Backstory

I Never Wanted to Be
a Writer by Juliette Fay

I never wanted to be a writer. I never wanted not to be a writer, either. The question
just never crossed my mind.

From earliest memory, I’ve made up elaborate stories in my
head, but as a young person it didn’t occur to me to turn this into a career. I
didn’t know any writers. And when I read books, which I did hungrily and
unceasingly, I never really thought about who was plugging away to produce them.

Fast forward through a career in human services, marriage, children
… and through fifteen years of my husband, who knew my deep love for words and
storytelling, badgering me to write a book. I used to say, “Honey, we’ve got a
bunch of little maniacs running around here. You write a book.”

By 40, I was home full time with four young kids. I felt
physically exhausted and mentally flaccid. Was it mid-life crisis time? Oh,
yes. Yes, it was.

I was desperate for something that was mine, that would jumpstart my battery-low synapses, and didn’t
involve wiping anything (spills, noses, bottoms). Secretly I wanted to try
writing a novel, but I couldn’t imagine even starting until the kids were older.

Weirdly enough, my writing career was launched by a neighbor’s
book swap. I teased her that it was really a book dump, because people left far more books than they took away.
Desperate to get rid of them, she said, “Here, take this one. You’re going on
vacation. It’s a beach read.”

It was the worst book I’ve ever read. The plot was
ridiculous, the dialogue was absurd, and the characters were caricatures.
Fascinated by its badness, I couldn’t put it down.

It had an interesting premise, though, and my brain, as it
often does, began to churn on how I would use it. Characters, conversations and
an entirely different story arc began to bloom in my mind. The difference this
time, however, was my desperation to find something that was mine alone, the
relaxed pace of a family beach vacation, and the provocation of a squandered
premise. It was the perfect storm I needed.

And so, instead of just thinking
my stories as I had done all my life, I began to write this one down. And I fell
in love—with my characters and their problems, but also with words that I could
go back to and rearrange, expand or delete altogether if I felt like it. I was in
love with the process.

I was very secretive about it. I didn’t want anyone to think
that I thought I was smart enough to
write a novel. But by the time I finished, I had shown it to three friends, one
a writer and two avid readers, and they encouraged me to try and get it
published.

Many rejections later, I did get an agent, but the novel
never sold. I’m happy about that now because in retrospect it was a practice
novel, and I certainly needed the practice. This didn’t deter me from
continuing to write; after all, the original goal hadn’t been publication. I
just loved doing it.

People often ask the name of the bad book that started it
all. I keep the secret out of respect for the author, who put time and effort
into producing it. I have a bad book of my own now, and I have no less love for
it than I do for any of my other more successful novels.

Who knows, maybe if it had ended up on a bookstore shelf,
someone would have read it and said, “Wow, this stinks. Even I can do better
than that.” And another writer would have been born.

Juliette Fay’s first novel, Shelter Me, was a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award “Book of the Year.”
Her second novel, Deep Down True, was
short-listed for the Women’s Fiction award by the American Library Association.
Her third, The Shortest Way Home, is
due out October 30. Juliette received a bachelor’s degree from Boston College
and a master’s degree from Harvard University. She lives in Massachusetts with
her husband and four children.

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By M.J. Rose

M. J. Rose: The Collector of Dying Breaths: A Novel of Suspense
Indie Next Pick Amazon Best of April Mystery/Suspense
"Gripping--a suspenseful and enigmatic story... captivating... compelling, imaginative." (Kirkus)
"A page-turning, alluring concoction of fiction infused with fantastical yet actual history. Readers will be mesmerized by her enchanting narrative, which takes them on a mystical and magical journey." (Library Journal - Starred
"Rose masterfully combines romance, mystery, and dual timelines…The storyline and extensive historical details…are fascinating.” (Romantic Times TOP PICK))
"Mysterious, magical, and mythical…what a joy to read!" (Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants)

M. J. Rose: Seduction: A Novel of SuspenseIndie Next List.
Intriguing, absorbing, and utterly captivating, Seduction will leave you begging for a sequel." —Books & Books
"Mysterious, haunting, and tragic, Seduction emerges as a suspenseful alchemy of potent ingredients, beautifully blended, that ignites your senses and leaves you aching for more." (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet )
"Seduction is an absolute pleasure to read -- clever, suspenseful, exciting, mysterious, learned, and engrossing. Some of the best historical fiction I've read in quite some time and just plain reading fun. M.J. Rose is at the top of her game, and that is saying something." (David Liss, bestselling author of The Twelfth Enchantment )

M. J. Rose: The Book of Lost Fragrances: A Novel of SuspenseINDIE NEXT PICK
SUSPENSE Best of 2012
PW Best of Mystery/Suspense Spring 2012
"Deliciously sensual...Rose imbues her characters with rich internal lives in a complex plot that races to a satisfying finish." (Publisher's Weekly (starred and boxed)
"Compelling... suspenseful tale. Once you catch a whiff, you will be enchanted". - Associated Press
"Rose has entered another realm and written what is bound to be one of this year's best books." -- Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose is an amazing novel, an utterly engrossing thriller that weaves together reincarnation, ancient Egypt, international intrigue, and a lost book of fragrances. Elegantly written, with unforgettable characters and flawlessly realized international settings, here is a novel that will keep you up all night—and leave you with powerful feelings of revelation, wonder, and the infinitude of human possibility." —New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston

Seen on FOXTV as PAST LIFE : The Reincarnationist THE REINCARNATIONIST. Starred Library Journal Review. Starred Publisher's Weekly Review. Booksense Pick for September and 2007 Highlight List.
"A fascinating story of reincarnation that is one of the year's most ambitious and entertaining thrillers." - David Montgomery - Chicago Sun-Times

People Magazine Pick of the Week : The Memorist "Gripping… Rose once again skillfully blends past and present with a new set of absorbing characters in a fascinating historical locale." - Starred Review, Library Journal ------------------------------
"Rose's fascinating follow up to The Reincarnationist... skillfully blends past life mysteries with present day chills. The result is a smashing good read." -Starred Review, Publisher's Weekly